Sponsored Links

Full Electric Maserati Could Arrive By 2019, Marchionne Says

Sponsored Links

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is famously against the idea of electric vehicles, but that hasn’t derailed potential plans for Maserati to bring an EV to market by the year 2019, according to Bloomberg.

The Canadian-Italian executive revealed in a recent interview a fully electric version of the upcoming Maserati Alfieri sportscar may arrive alongside the standard gasoline powered variant. The Alfieri was originally slated for a 2016 debut, however the vehicle was pushed back until 2018 late last year.

Marchionne has spoke out against EVs in the past, saying they do not provide a big enough return for FCA to pursue them. However if an electric vehicle was branded as a Maserati and could be sold for $100,000 or more, it would be much easier for the vehicle to turn a profit.

In addition to the Alfieri, Marchionne also revealed FCA may bring an electric city car to Europe. The automaker currently sells the Fiat 500E in certain North American markets in order to adhere to California emissions laws, but loses $10,000 on each example sold.

The Maserati Alfieri EV won’t be the only Trident-badged car with an electric motor if it comes to fruition. The automaker also has plans to eventually debut a hybrid version of its Levante SUV, which will utilize the same 16 kWh battery and electric motor as the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid in order to save on development costs.